ANTH 4180 Anthropological Perspectives—Contemporary Issues in Biological Anthropology
Spring 2009
Meeting Place: Hale 455
Meeting Time: T 9:00 am
Professor: Matt Sponheimer
Office: Hale 347
Office Hours: T 1:45-4:45 pm
Phone: 303-735-2065
Email: matt.sponheimer@colorado.edu
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/anthropology/sponheimer
Mirror: http://melampus.colorado.edu/class
Class Overview
Most classes in biological anthropology are narrow perforce, and as a
result, are pale reflections of a broad, vibrant, and deeply relevant
discipline. The aim of this class is to cut a broad swath through the field and
stimulate discussion on a broad range of topics including the influence of our
preconceptions on our interpretation of the human fossil record, creationism,
the nature/nurture debate, and medical experimentation on primates. The vehicles
for this discussion will be a series of books, largely written for a general
audience, that are among the most readable, engaging, and in some cases,
controversial in the field. Each text will be very different from the next, and
as such, the class will not be about any topic in particular, save perhaps the
state of the discipline as a whole. If you require a great deal of class
structure, this is not the class for you.
Reading
We will be reading the texts in the order that they appear below. The
reading load for this class will be significant, and you will be expected to
keep a journal. The journal is meant to be a forum for developing your ideas
about the reading, not a simple recapitulation of the texts.
Next of Kin
by Roger Fouts
Bones of Contention by Roger Lewin
The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker
The Mismeasure of Man by Steven Jay Gould
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Class Format
This is an upper-division discussion course. Thus, you will be expected to
be an active participant in ALL class discussions. We will combine small group
with whole class discussion, which should make this easier for those shy folks
among you. If you think active participation is beyond your ability, you should
take a different class.
Grading
You will be evaluated on your class participation (including small team
projects, 33.3%), journal (33.3%), and one large team project (33.3%).
Disabilities
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please bring me a
letter from Disability Services so that your needs may be addressed. Disability
Services (303-492-8671, Willard 322, www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices)
determines accommodations based on documented disabilities.
Dates
to Remember
Our first book discussion will be on February 10th.
Prior to that date we will be working on smaller group projects. Final journals
are due on April 28th; group project meetings will occur on March 13th;
and final team projects will be presented on April 28th.